Paranoid
by The Water Drinker
Summary: Atem had just wanted to sleep, but when he gets a frantic call from Yugi he rushes over to help him. Blindshipping oneshot.


The night was quiet and peaceful. No annoying neighbors shouting at the top of their lungs, or the blasting of really loud music, or anything else that might annoy him. After a long, arduous day of studying and homework, Atem felt himself deserving of such a moment of tranquility. His head hit his pillows with a bounce, feeling as much like lead as it looked when it sank into the plush surface.

And he let out a content sigh, or perhaps a moan, because nothing felt quite as good as closing his weary eyes. Weary from staying up until one AM after being awake since seven AM. It was a sweet relief. His muscles relaxed against his bed that had never felt so inviting. If someone had told him he had died and went to heaven, at that moment, he might have actually believed them.

He must have fallen half asleep, because his mind started to wander to random things. A lone cup of coffee sitting in a field of flowers on an overly sunny day. Why was it sitting by itself? Surely it had friends. A doughnut or a bagel perhaps? He would be its friend. Oh, oops, he drank it. Was he a murderer now? He did not want to go to coffee prison.

"...you'll never take me alive, coppers..." He slurred out through half-opened lips.

A ring tone resounded throughout his room to shatter the silence, and brought him back from his dreams with much resistance on his part. With a grumble and a furrowed brow, he opened his tired eyes. He glared at his phone that danced atop his nightstand to the beat of its vibration.

"...the hell, man?"

He contemplated for a long moment on just letting it ring. If the person calling him honestly expected him to get up, they were going to be sorely disappointed. During his extended period of consideration, it finally stopped its ringing.

Atem smiled as his brow relaxed from its previous tense state. He closed his eyes once more. However, the returned peace was short-lived as the dreaded phone started back up its incessant ringing.

"For the love of all that is holy..." Atem forced himself upright, and reached for his phone. He did not even bother checking the caller-id as he pressed accept and placed the phone to his ear. "The hell do you want?" If the person on the other end of the line was expecting any kind of pleasantries, they would find none here.

"A-Atem?" A familiar voice quavered as it made its way through the receiver. It surprised Atem.

"Yugi?" He became more awake as he swung his legs over his bed. He looked over at his alarm clock that shone it was two AM in red, blocky numbers. He let out an exhausted sigh. "It's two in the morning."

"Y-yes, I know, but... Atem..." Atem quirked an eyebrow in confusion at the scared tone of voice of one of his best friends. "I think there's something or someone outside my house."

Atem became alarmed by the words. "What? I'll come get you. Just stay inside." As he said this, he had already started to throw on any shoes he could find, which just happened to be his favorite fuzzy, blue slippers.

"Oh, thank you." He heard Yugi say in relief.

Atem had made it to Yugi's little house in a quiet, little neighborhood in half the time it would have normally taken. It helped that no one was on the road with it being two o'clock in the morning and whatnot. Yugi had recently moved into the house, which was close to the university Atem and him were attending, because the rent was cheaper than the dorm rooms. Atem had offered to help him pay for the expenses, but Yugi was stubborn.

He rushed up to the door and did not bother to knock as he tried to turn the knob. When it was locked, it was then that he started to knock on the door. It opened, but just as he was about to hurry inside, something solid made contact with his face.

"Gah!" He exclaimed as he stumbled backwards.

"Atem?! Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I thought you were the rapist."

Atem opened his eyes to see he had just been assaulted with a baseball bat. Thankfully Yugi was no athlete.

"Damn it. Put that down, will you? Before you hurt yourself. Or me again."

Yugi did as he was instructed. The wooden bat fell to the ground at his feet.

"Sh-should I get you some ice?"

Atem rubbed at his forehead and grumbled. "That would be nice, yes." He was not in the best condition to be dealing with this. Even before taking a bat to the face. Yugi ran off to the kitchen and brought back a small bag of ice. Atem took it and sat down on the worn out couch in the living room. "What's this about someone outside your house?"

Yugi began to fidget where he stood in front of Atem. He looked nervous and worried. "I heard something when I was trying to sleep. It sounded like a tapping on my window." Yugi did not seem to know what to do with his hands as he lifted them in front of himself and wrung them together.

Atem hm'd in thought. "I didn't see anyone when I pulled up."

"W-well... my room is towards the back."

Atem had always known Yugi was a bit of a paranoid person. It was a fact that he often times used against the short boy – forcing him to sit through horror movies or jumping out from around corners to scare him. Ever since high school. But he had not even considered that aspect of Yugi's personality when the boy had called him with that frantic plea. He was glad he came though. It was much better to be safe than sorry.

He stood up from the couch and placed the ice upon the small coffee table in front of it. "All right then. I'll go have a look."

Yugi looked antsy and worried. "By yourself? B-but... What if it gets you?"

Atem shrugged. "If I don't make it back, feed my cat."

Yugi huffed in annoyance. "Atem! This is not a time to joke!"

"It's not a joke. If Mr. Whiskers doesn't get fed at least three times a day, he pees on the carpet and scratches up my bedroom door. Meal time is serious business."

Yugi let out a pitiful whine. Atem watched him run over to the wooden bat to pick it up. "At least take this then!"

Atem started to grumble. "Go put that thing back. Sheesh." He then made his way to the front door and opened it.

"B-but! What if you get attacked?"

Atem looked over his shoulder at the worried face of his best friend. "Then I'll kick his ass." With that, he stepped outside.

It did not take him long to make a sweep of the perimeter of the house. Just as he had expected, there was no one around. Only the crickets that chirped in protest to him disturbing their peace. There was not even any shrubbery or anything for someone to hide in. But he decided to be thorough, simply for Yugi's peace of mind, because he was a good friend like that. So he checked the trashcans, and even a neighbor's trashcan just to be safe.

Once he was finished, he walked back inside Yugi's house, albeit more cautiously this time. As soon as he was inside, Yugi had jumped him.

"Oh my gosh, Atem! I thought you died or something. Then I never would have gotten to see you again and, and I would have missed you so bad and I would have blamed myself for the rest of my life and... I really didn't want to feed Mr. Whiskers... that cat hates me."

Atem's eyes widened in surprise through Yugi's rushed babbling. He then wrapped his arms around the smaller body and patted his back. "It's all right. Nobody was out there."

Yugi looked up into Atem's face with glassy eyes. "R-really?"

Atem nodded. "Yep."

"But... the tapping..."

"Probably just a bug trying to commit suicide on your window."

Yugi's expression was quick to change into one of irritation. "Really Atem? Did you have to describe it like that?"

Atem merely nodded. "Yep." Yugi pouted. Atem then let go of Yugi and sat back down on the couch. He picked back up the ice pack and slapped it back onto his face. "I guess my job here is done."

Yugi perked back up and walked over to him. "D-does this mean you're leaving?"

Atem let out a groan. The tiredness he had been feeling before had come back with a vengeance. "I was planning on it."

The short boy had started back up his fidgeting. "But what if-"

Atem cut him off before he could finish that line of thought. "No one's around Yugi. You'll be okay."

Yugi did not look convinced. There was a moment of silence between them before the smaller boy spoke up. "Can you... stay here? Just for tonight?"

Atem pulled the ice pack off one of his eyes to give Yugi an incredulous look, and was about to ask him if he would need to check all the trashcans in the neighborhood to satisfy his unnecessary paranoia, but one look into those huge, violet eyes had him relenting. "Fine."

Yugi's face brightened up with a pleased smile. It had Atem melting a little inside. That smile could break the iciest of walls. The way the boy wielded it like a weapon should be illegal.

"Do you want anything to drink?" Yugi asked, suddenly in a much more chipper mood.

Atem shook his head. "Not really. I just really need some sleep."

"You can sleep in my room."

Atem eyed him curiously. "Where would you sleep then?"

Yugi looked confused. "In my bed?"

"But... you just offered it to me."

"Yeah? And?"

Atem might have argued about Yugi's lack of knowledge as far as social boundaries were concerned, but he was much too tired for that. "All right then. Let's go to bed."

"'Kay!"

And so Yugi led him to his bedroom. Atem collapsed on top of the bed as soon as he reached it. It was not the most comfortable bed to sleep on, with its loose springs and such, but it would not have mattered much to him even if it was a pile of bricks. Not at this moment. He closed his eyes and smiled in contentment. He felt a shift on the mattress as Yugi also got on the bed. The shorter boy snuggled under the blanket and pulled it over top of the both of them. Atem scrunched his eyes up before opening one to stare at Yugi's relaxed face. The boy had laid on his side facing Atem. It was somewhat uncomfortable, and it made a faint blush surface to his cheeks.

"Nighty night, Atem." Yugi mumbled as his eyes closed.

Atem was now finding it rather difficult to go "nighty night." He stared at the boy's soft features. A round face, pale, smooth skin, big eyes. Yugi had always been cute. It was something he had never grown out of from their high school years. It was just one of many endearing qualities Yugi possessed. Including his docile, but firm disposition. Atem had always admired Yugi's ability to stay calm in stressful situations. Always the first one to defend someone in need. Never afraid to do what was right. His irrational paranoia of the dark was the only thing Atem knew he was afraid of. But every little superhero had to have a weakness, he supposed.

Atem sighed. He was supposed to go to sleep, but now he could not even get his eyes to close.

"Hey, Yugi? You still awake?"

"...hm?"

Atem hesitated, but his curiosity pushed forth his thoughts. "Why did you call me when you thought someone was outside your house? Why not call Joey, or Tea, or Tristan? Or maybe Ryou? Or hell, even Seto Kaiba. Or maybe even the police? Why me?" Atem had not even picked up the first time. Yugi had to call him again just to get his lazy ass to answer.

"...mm... I just..." Yugi started, his voice heavy with sleepiness. "...feel safe around you... I guess." Atem's eyes widened at that answer. Yugi continued after a few breaths. "When you're near me I feel like... I don't know... like I'll be okay. That nothing will happen to me when you're there. You're like a superhero... you don't even have a kryptonite."

Something inside Atem started doing gymnastics inside of his chest. He had always looked out for the boy lying across from him; wanted to protect him. It was a feeling that had always been there, but he never really looked much into. He had always just figured it was because they were such close friends. Ever since they had met in the ninth grade. How foolish his younger self was.

"Oh, I definitely have a kryptonite." He mumbled, mostly to himself.

Yugi answered anyway, "...hm? What is it?"

It was as if his mouth had opened of its own accord. Like it knew what it wanted to say before even Atem himself did as it formed the word, "...You."

Yugi's violet eyes opened slowly. "Me?"

Atem had never blushed so much in his life, but he knew without looking that he probably looked like a ripe tomato. "Uh, best not look too much into that. We should go to sleep."

So he closed his eyes and willed sleep to take him to dreamland, but the sandman seemed content with just laughing in his face.

"Atem?" Atem peeked through one eye to see Yugi staring at him with a nervous expression. "Can I tell you something? And you have to promise not to laugh."

Atem became curious. "All right."

Yugi seemed hesitant at first, but he carried on anyway. "I am really happy when I'm around you. When you're not there I get scared. And I... might have played up on my fear a little bit when you said you were gonna go. I... didn't want to be alone. With you not here. What I mean to say is... I wasn't _that_ scared... as soon as you got here I wasn't. I just prefer when you're with me."

Atem felt his heart pitter-patter against his chest. Yugi continued to stare at him with those endearing eyes of his. After a moment, Atem then made up his mind. He took a deep breath, and gave Yugi a sincere look. "Can I tell _you_ something?" Yugi's eyes widened in... hope perhaps? Longing? Whichever it was, it was enough to calm Atem's raging heart beat to carry on with his confession. "I really like being with you too." Atem saw Yugi's face color pink. He felt his confidence returning as he felt a smile tug at his lips. His next words came out quiet, yet steady. It forced Yugi to inch a little closer to better hear him. "And I might even go as far to say... it's because I really like _you_." Atem moved a bit closer to the other boy. Yugi's lips opened slightly, a realization dawning in his violet eyes. It as if he wanted to say something, but the words got caught in his throat. "And I was wondering..." Their faces were now just an inch apart. Atem could feel Yugi's breath against him. "If maybe you would let me stay with you more often." As he said this, he then pressed his lips to the half-parted ones of Yugi's.

It was something gentle and tender. Atem did not have it in him for anything extravagant or wild. He hoped this would be convincing enough, because it had occurred to him during Yugi's confession, that he did not want to miss such an opportunity like his younger, foolish self had.

And he was rewarded for his efforts, because Yugi reciprocated fully and eagerly. And when their lips parted, he felt spellbound.

As he moved back ever so slightly, there was a moment when neither of them said anything. The silence almost had Atem worried that he had made a mistake. That perhaps he had misinterpreted this whole thing, and had just made a fool of himself. Yugi would not kiss him back just to make him feel better, right?

That is, until Yugi's sleepy face took on a brilliant smile.

"I would really, _really_ like that." Yugi mumbled softly – a gentle whisper. The unease Atem had been feeling a second ago completely melted away along with the softly spoken words.

His eyes began to feel heavier than ever. "Good." He mumbled before they closed on him involuntarily, but not before he wrapped his arms around Yugi's lithe frame to pull him closer. "...good."

* * *

"Yugi... would you _please_ , for the love of _everything_ , _stop_ looking under the bed. Nothing is under there!"

Atem and Yugi were seated on Atem's bed. It had been Yugi's silly idea to watch a horror movie before they went to sleep. He had claimed he had graduated from being scared of movies entirely with the final exam being this one. Atem should have known better, but it was hard to fight against the doe-eyed look Yugi sent his way when his lover had asked to watch it in the first place.

"But... a serial killer could be under there! Or a clown! I _hate_ clowns." Yugi moaned pitifully.

It had been a few months now since Yugi had moved in with him, and since then, Yugi had made himself quite comfortable with his remote. The darned little menace.

" _I_ am going to _squish_ you, Yugi Mutou, if you do not pull your head up _right now_ and go to sleep."

"But, but... the clowns!"

Atem huffed in annoyance before he grabbed Yugi by his waist and pulled him down with him to lay on the bed. Yugi let out a "meep" at the suddenness of it. Atem then pulled the covers over them before he wrapped his arms around Yugi and snuggled his way into the shorter boy's hair.

"There. Now if anyone pops up from under the bed to get to you, they'll have to go through me first."

He heard Yugi giggle – could feel the movement the action produced. "Sounds good." Yugi said with a sigh against his neck.

With the warmth of Yugi beside him, it was not long before Atem had started to drift off to sleep. Just on the precipice of dreamland. Damn it all, he did end up going to coffee prison. How did the teacups catch him? He thought he had covered his tracks perfectly.

"Atem?"

Yugi's quiet voice brought him back to the real world. "...hm?"

"I love you."

Atem smiled. "I love you too."

So Atem cuddled into Yugi more, feeling more content than he ever had. Then suddenly, there was a low growling sound that came from underneath the bed. He felt Yugi tense up in his arms.

"A-Atem? What was that?"

Atem groaned in irritation, and kicked his foot down hard against the bed. "Shut up Mr. Whiskers."

* * *

 _Author's note:_

 _I know, I know. This is fluffy as heck. So fluffy, a gentle breeze could pick it up and it would float away. Heh. Either way, I hope you guys liked it. :D_


End file.
